Artist Statement

My figurative works are essentially paintings with light. They are stained glass panels constructed mainly in the traditional way. These pieces are sandblasted, painted, plated, and eventually either copper foiled or leaded, or both. I am focusing on strong images, recounting forgotten or half remembered ancestral dreams –as such, I intend for them to be evocative, moody and magical. My choice of subject matter is quite organic - with creatures, both human and other, interacting in both the design and narrative. They can seem familiar as well as unsettling, and tend to be visceral rather than intellectual memories.The motifs in these works are concerned with the big themes in life: hope, love, the continuing despair of mortality and yearning. My work may at first appear to illustrate alienation and desolation, but there is always an edge of promise and rebirth. Ultimately, I intend to dissolve any linear narrative interpretation by conjuring up life at its barest essence. I am influenced by medieval culture, both through art and social history, and the less palatable and symbolic fairytales throughout the ages - from Grimms' collections to Angela Carter. These malevolent/benevolent fairytales plunge the vein of deeply held collective memory. My work represents a collection of evolved symbolism whichwill continue to change through reinterpretation and time. The narrative becoming more complex and concise, the symbolism gaining clarity.